Horses & Other Interests
The rest of the week is photos for content. This is photos for art. [About]
[Spotted at Oak Mountain State Park]
By The Numbers – 52 Fridays
26 Photo posts
6 Show Photos
2 Guest Posts [Stella & Where in the World is Spotted?]
12 Instagram recaps
6 Text & otherwise non-photo posts
Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott
Yowza!
Milton went from proof of concept [Milton’s Practice Cart] to pulling his own marathon carriage [Show Report Driving & Lessons, Milton’s First Carriage Drive].
Greg drove (& won!) his first CDE [Show Report].
I should have more to say, but I’m gobsmacked. Driving this year has been everything we could have hoped for. You don’t often get to say that about horses.
Huge thanks to Coach Courtney & Coach Kate.
Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott
What a weird year. I had horrid rides. I had great rides. I flaked out and didn’t ride at all. And yet, at the end of the day, I finished up in the same place as always: some blues, some reds, solidified my hold on second at Nationals. I haven’t heard the year-end results for the ASHAA, but – given the faces in the crowd – I suspect I ended up the same place there as well. I’m not sure what lesson the universe is trying to teach here.
Fortunately, my bad rides did not drag down my good rides. Unfortunately, my good rides did not elevate my bad rides. Sam & Dottie? Lovely. Everyone else? Not so much.
By the Numbers
Riding, 10 shows: 5 big, 5 little. Robert (Winter Tournament 2&3), Desi (ProAm), Snippy (Dixie Cup), Sam (MidSouth), Dottie (Alabama Charity, SSF, NACHS), Whiskey (Winter Tournament 1&2)
Driving, 7 shows: 3 big, 4 little. Alvin (Winter Tournament 3&1), Snippy (ProAm, MidSouth, Alabama Charity, NACHS), Whiskey (Winter Tournament 2)
Greg did one ASB driving show. After that, the pleasure shows with Bliss were enough fancy driving for him.
Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott
Rodney
What can I say that I haven’t said over and over and over? [Looking Back, Rodney 2016]
I worry that I am not the right human for him. I make him nervous; he makes me nuts. The energy that drives me to find solutions to his problems can be overwhelming to encounter. (See, “Squinching around the eyes” in [The Upside Of Negativity]) The sensitivity that helps me feel this problems renders me overly affected by setbacks. There is a good and bad side to everything.
Milton
Got the truck [Looking Forward, Milton]. Yay.
Milton is going places. Yay.
Milton is not going places with me.
Perhaps I should have been more specific.
Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott
Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott
The myth is that animals are given the gift of speech on Christmas eve. Why? Why would I want my horses to talk? I can imagine what they would say.
More carrots!
You’re late!
Work? I would prefer not, thank you so much.
I sense danger! Flee! Flee! Flee!
More carrots!
They have no trouble conveying these sentiments without words. Besides, people use words. We are hardly an advertisement for the peace and joy that comes from sharing speech.
Possibly, the horses would have good things to say.
Breakfast!
Oooooh, hay. Yummy!
Time for a nap in the sun.
Hello human. Are you here to do nice things for me?
I itch right there. Ahhh, that feels good. Yeah, fingernails!
Dinner!
They have no trouble conveying these sentiments either. People who say animals don’t talk, just aren’t listening.
[From The Horse’s Mouth]
[Talk To Me]
[Ladies Night]
Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott
Virtual Brush Box 